West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-02-17
THE GENERALS STORIES

ScENE-B Bachelors Mess at Fort Bowie.
Arizona. Time--A Winter Night The
General, a Veteran of the Civil War.
and an Old Forty miner, speaks.
Yes, there arc many great many,
good stories told by pioneers, some more
exec lent than true. Now, Lieutenant
d., down there at the other end of the
table, has father who tells very many
excellent stories, and he tells them so
often at the Pioneer Socicty's dinners
that imagine he is beginning to believe
them himself. | have never to d this
story before. 1t will explain why a
common stoveppe, like the one coming
out OF that stove in the corner, is ALWAYS
grim reminder, in my eyes, OF carly
California days. A few years after our
occupation OF the State, / was stationed
IN Southern california, near Los Angeles.
and ono afternoon strolled out To the
scene OF the Los Angeles massacre. in
which friend Of mine young Of
fcer, and some enlisted men had bceu
killed by the Mcxicans some time before.
Nhl'c eAdcayoring 10 get n good idea
Of the position occupied by our troops
! accidentally stirred UP the Garth
with my shoe and looking down | saw
something gli,tcn Ike cod in the sun. I
picked it up aud found it 10 be hum nm
finger bone, End stll on it the West
Point clas ring Of my dead friend
mUked with his name aud the date of
his graduation. ! had visited his family
IN New England, so / W otc to them. i'm
closing their boys ring and explain NJ
how 1T had come into my possession. In
the course OF time ] received a very
grateful answer, requesting me, if
could identity the Young IN MS remains
TO have them dis.nterrcd and sent home
J found the remains and shipped them.
nicely boxed TO the Depot Quarter.
master, then in IN Francisco, re ,ucs.i igo
him 90 hol thCm, as ! would come alone
in month myself and rc-sh p the NJ. In
due time ! received ano her kind letter
announ ing he arrival of the remains
ana tho family seemed not able to thank
me enough for what had been no trouble
to me at all. Later on having been
granted leave OF absenc which I was
spending i'm the East, found myself IN
New York City and received an invitl-
ton 10 visit the family agnin So one
Saturday morning ! start d and rcachcd
the lovely old homestead. which was
beautifully situated i'm New England
town ! was Hospitality received ON
the following morning. Sunday. I wa
taken TO the Little cemetery and shown
my friends grave. over which had been
erected beautiful marble monument i'm
scrlbCd with his name. mil tarv history
aud the date and manner o. his death
After q delightful visit 7 left and r.v
leave being Ip, I received orders 10 pro
coed 10 San rWncisc) Co report for dufv
as Depot luoricrmlsicr In those days
CuartCrmlstcr when relieving each
other, were very careful TO see that all
public prop.rt rC ciUtcd for en- to-
the last bolt was there Zoo tho sfOrch0uso
before touching q pen fO the rcccipts rc.
Loving The other from responsibility
The amount property was great and
20 took mo four day, to verify 70 accord
ing to the invoices. ON the invoices
were some original boxes Of stovepipcs
that is 90 s1y. some which had never
been opened While going around with
the Quartcrm1-tor crQclDt ON thc after
noon Of tho fourth day. we came e. the
b0xe Of sto,osp.p Being or. QinnI
packages. ! did not order them to- be
opened but satisfied myscf bg moying
them slightly in order t0 see if thcv were
Of tho proper weight had moved six
teen or seventeen of them. when one
seemed to ba una ually light, aud / di.
rcctcd Che Sergeant o open it. lie did
SO raj cd thc lid or the box slightly. and
} 0kcd in n tico him quickly drop
the lid and star, back with n frightened
To X ON hi face aud ] said WHAT
TIE matter Sergeant. initial riphtl"
mo sir, there's mo- st1vepipeg i'm There ~
nc balf 0aspcl out. ! sail. what IL
there boz the b0xf' TIC said .There's
Zones human mes, sir / saw kuI. s.
Tl @ truth then IA he'd acr1,s my miad
] hal made mistake and had shipped